Category: Knitting

Free Hi and Poor Jake

Marie Haigh7 Comments

After I got back from the Pottstown Knit Out, I couldn’t resist writing the pattern up for the Hi dishcloth. I got such a kick out of knitting it up for the class. Unlike my Dishcloth in a Dishcloth design which never really came out the way I envisioned, the word ‘Hi’ is easily recognizable.

Should you care to knit yourself a dishcloth that will greet you every morning, the pattern can be downloaded for free by clicking on the link below.

Surprisingly Jake did not assist in the photography which is perhaps why it is missing that extra something. Poor Jake is feeling a little under the weather.

Of course, we still went for our walk this morning after Jake gently reminded me what time it was. Plus, he received his after-walk treat. He’s not THAT sick. He just has a minor ear infection. He came down with it because I was just bragging the other day about how he never gets ear infections in the wintertime. I jinxed him, you see.

However, he was sick enough to wake me up at 4:30 this morning. After a good ear cleaning, a treat, and ample cuddle time, Jake went back to sleep. I had no such luck.

The Joys of being Sick

Marie Haigh7 Comments

Being sick is no fun, but there are a few perks.

1. Sleeping more hours then you are awake.
2. Watching your favorite movies, sometimes twice over because it’s too tiresome to put in a new movie.
3. Lots of hand sewing time!
4. Lots of knitting time!

I think most of my free time came from the fact that I only cooked one meal during the entire week I was sick. Dan handled all the other nights, which is to say that he went out to a local restaurant and paid for our meals. grin.

With all that free (knitting & sewing) time, I finished 4 projects.

A traditional dishcloth without yarnovers (holes)

A Headband

A dishcloth within a dishcloth

Dan’s silk tie, which he’s getting tomorrow (3 Kings Day)

(Please don’t ask me how long it took me to tie this tie. I watched 1 You Tube video and 1 pictorial guide before finally coming up with this version. Thankfully, Maria the dress form wasn’t wearing any pants or you could see that the tie came down way too far on her).

Christmas Bake-a-thon Continues

Marie Haigh10 Comments

These past 2 days have been very productive.

Thanks to the miserable weather, I got a lot of baking done, since I couldn’t rightly go outside and run any errands.

Candy Cane cookies

Buttermilk Sugar Cookies

Coffee Cake
(a Christmas hostess gift)

Maple Pecan Pie
(requested by my Uncle)

I also finished Dan’s knee warmers in time for Christmas! They are downstairs drying after receiving a good washing.

The guest bedroom is mostly ready to receive my father-in-law. At the very least, I have reduced the amount of dust and located the beds under the mountain of pillows.

We have clean clothes. I’m sure all our guests will be appreciative.

All I have left to do tonight is finish the silk tie, but the couch on the way to my craft room is looking awfully tempting.

O Christmas Tree

Marie Haigh8 Comments

Guess what we did this weekend?

Here’s a hint.

We bought a real tree in the morning. It was only after we got it home and into the front room that we realized it was a bit too large for the space.
They always look smaller at the tree lot. Why is that?

Then, we spent the entire afternoon decorating the tree and listening to Christmas music.

Do you recognize the tree skirt?
This is the first year we get to use it. It fits the tree perfectly.

It wasn’t just the tree in the front room we decorated, we also decorated the shed tree.

If you’re counting, that is 3 trees decorated with one more to go.

Dishcloths and Maybe a Tie

Marie Haigh5 Comments

I’m on a mission to knit dishcloths in as many ways as I can think of for the class I’m teaching in January: Dishcloths – How to Design and Knit Them.

Here are 2.

Stats:
Sugar ‘n Cream by Lily
Color: Jewels (I just love this color).
Designs: See below
Time frame: Just a few hours
 
The top one is a simple garter stitch square.
Cast on 32 stitches.
Knit for 64 rows or 32 ridges.
Bind off.
Couldn’t be easier. In fact it was so easy, I was bored to death. By the end, I was bribing myself with chocolate just to knit another 2 rows. Oh, the things I’ll do for chocolate.

The bottom one is the infamous Grandmother’s Favorite. (Non-Ravelry link). It was such fun to knit. The yarn overs and the short rows egged me on. I started it in the evening and finished it the next morning.

I have enough of the Jewel colorway to knit one more dishcloth in it. I plan to knit a variation of Grandmother’s favorite, since I found it so enjoyable.

When not knitting dishcloths, I am working on a new design idea, finishing up Dan’s 2nd knee warmer and learning how to sew a tie.

The fabric was brought back from one of my SIL’s travels. I forget exactly which country she brought it back from: Peru or Ecuador. Let’s just say it came from South America. It is hand-dyed silk. I’ve kept it hidden in my fabric stash for a few years now, not sure exactly what to do with it. Then, a week ago, a light bulb went off in my head. It would make a lovely silk tie for Dan just in time for Christmas.

Dan isn’t one to wear a lot of ties. His job doesn’t require it. Still he has a collection of at least 20 ties. You wouldn’t know it though. He wears the same 2 ties over and over again whenever we attend a function together. I’m sick of looking at them. If only to keep me sane, it’s time for a new tie.

Publication Announcements

Marie Haigh7 Comments

As long as I remember, my Grandmother has been researching the Bible. Around the time that I went off to attend college, she started to write a book on her findings. Years of hard work went into this book. 15 years later, the book is finally complete.

Historical Phases of Prophetic Teaching
By Mrs. Evelyn T. Watson (my Grandmother!)

I’m so happy for her! It’s a dream realized at long last.

 

My announcement pales in comparison. I’ve only been working on this pattern for a few months – not years. Still I am a teensy bit excited about the publication of my most recent design: Something Blue Stole. It features the Gradiance color scheme by The Unique Sheep.

The pictures, which were hidden from view during the designing and knitting phases, can finally be shown off.

Unique Sheep

Granny’s Pecan Pie and Dan’s Knee Warmer

Marie Haigh3 Comments

Happy (terribly belated) Thanksgiving Day! I hope you had a wonderful time.

It was a wonderful day of eating and of spending time with family for me. I made my Granny’s Pecan Pie along with a few other things.

My recipe barely resembles the pies she used to make. (I use a lot more pecans than she would ever dream of. Of course, I only make 1 pie compared to the 6 pies she made). Yet, I still call it her recipe out of hope that it will taste as good as the legendary ones she used to make. It’s hard work competing against childhood memories. Stealing your grandmother’s name and tacking it onto the recipe name does help though.

Pecan Pie by Granny & Me
1 tbsp butter
1.5 cups pecans, coarsely chopped
3 tbsp melted butter
3 eggs
1 cup dark Karo syrup or 1 cup good maple syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Melt 1 tbsp butter on low heat. Add pecans and roast for approximately 5 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
Stir remaining ingredients together. Add pecans and mix.
Pour into unbaked pie shell.
Bake for 45 minutes at 350 or until set.

Christmas is only 24 days away and I have a million things left on my To Do list. Decking the tree is top among them. I was able to cross off half of one item last night though.

One of 2 knee warmers is finished!

Better yet, it fits Dan perfectly! (Yes, I ruined the surprise so I could make sure I wasn’t knitting in vain.)

After my initial excitement of knitting the warmers in the correct size, I made him jump up and down. Despite the elastic encased in the top hem, the elasticity of the pattern stitches, and the lovely attributes of wool, the knee warmers still slid down Dan’s leg. Short of making him wear a garter belt, I have no idea how to fix it. Plus, I don’t think he’ll go for the garter belt.

I went searching on Raverly to see if I could find another way to make the knee warmers stay up and I came across this knee warmer pattern by Sarah Peasley. I think I’ll try her pattern next though it seems as if I’ll encounter the very same problem. 

Any ideas? I’m a bit perplexed. Come to find out many cyclist complain of the same thing: knee warmers sliding down their legs and not keeping their knees warm. Well, at least I have good company.

Meet Maria and her Diamond Dish Scarf

Marie Haigh9 Comments

It came yesterday!

It’s an adjustable dress form! I’ve wanted a dress form for years, but (1) could never find one that had my exact measurements and (2) could never find one that was reasonably priced. The beauty of this dress form is that you can adjust the bust, waist and hips to your exact measurements. I found it on Amazon of all places with free shipping.

I named her Maria. I didn’t like the idea of having two Marie’s in the house. That would have been weird.

Maria is sporting a skirt that I made for myself a few years ago as well as a sweater made for me by my MIL. The sweater was crocheted and given to me as a Christmas present. It’s so warm and fits me perfectly as Maria so kindly proved.

Note to my MIL: I removed the buttons because – to be frank – they wouldn’t all button this year. Dan isn’t the only one gaining weight from my cooking. Yet, I really love the sweater like this. Thank you!

In knitting news, I finished the scarf I had been working on.

Of course, I had Maria model it for me. She doesn’t fidget quite as much as I do when standing in front of a camera.

Since it was such a simple design, I am offering it as a free download.

Review of Blue Sky Alpaca’s Dyed Cotton Yarn

Marie Haigh4 Comments

In January when I had purchased this yarn from Loop, LYS in Philadelphia, I had confessed my hatred of cotton. To reiterate, I stated the following:

1. If my hands get the least bit warm, cotton sticks to them like feather to tar.
2. Cotton lacks the stickiness of wool. Wool wants to lay down with its fellow kind. Cotton has no such feelings. Thus, as the Yarn Harlot would say, “it’s not as forgiving as lovely wool”. It separates with the flick of a needle and is slippery to boot.
3. It’s not as warm. In Pennsylvania, the cold months outnumber the warm months. It’s important to have something warm nearby at all times.
4. It’s not as easy, fun or enjoyable to knit as lovely wool. It takes a steadier hand and more patience.

After using up the first skein of this yarn in the scarf I am knitting, I am singing a different tune.

Though I can’t deny any of the above statements, I must admit that I have enjoyed knitting Blue Sky Cotton.

Not once has the yarn separated on me. Not once has the yarn stuck to my fingers. Of course, the latter could be due to the fact that it’s Fall and temperatures have already dropped enough that Jake has no trouble going twice the distance we normally walked in the summer.

However, the best part about the yarn is its softness. It’s not as soft as alpaca or merino, but that is hardly a fair comparison. I wouldn’t rate it any lower than one rung down though.

Speaking of the scarf I am knitting, it’s 75% done. It has been such a quick and easy project.

Knee Warmers and an Old Scarf

Marie Haigh5 Comments

After casting on and ripping out the knee warmers 3 times over, I am finally making progress on them.

Let’s see if I can recount all the things I did wrong that warranted the 3 frogs.

Well, first, I cast on too many stitches. And not just a few too many. Try 4 times too many. Math was never my forte. In my defense, I didn’t actually cast on all those stitches. Halfway through, I thought to myself “Gosh, Dan is bigger than me, but I don’t think anybody has knees quite this large.” Giggle.

The 2nd frogging was due to the fact that I was knitting the knee warmers in the round, but trying to follow the instructions detailed by Barbara Walker. Her instructions, of course, were for knitting back and forth.

Having been defeated while knitting in the round, I cast on the 3rd time for working straight. Two rows into the warmers, it donned on me how I could adjust the instructions to knitting in the round. At least the 3rd time, I frogged the project with glee.

This 4th time has not been without its problems. I messed up one set of the increases, but I refuse to rip it back. Nobody, except you and I, is going to know that I increased 6 rows before I should have. Though this mistake has decreased by desire to knit the knee warmers. Maybe I can just rip back to my mistake. Grr.

In other news, I would like to thank Lime & Violet for featuring my Cabled and Ribbed scarf on their blog, The Daily Chum.

I designed this scarf 3 years ago for a local alpaca farm.

From Cabled & Ribbed Scarf

Much to my chagrin, the design was rejected. The farm owner wanted a lacy scarf instead. After completing the lace scarf along with 3 other designs, I finally came back to the cables and ribs. Remembering how much I enjoyed knitting the swatch, I decided to self publish it. I’m glad I did.